This application claims the benefit and priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0084396, filed on Oct. 21, 2004, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical test system for a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a test system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote control and an operation method of operating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A test process of a semiconductor device refers to a process of electrically testing a function of a completely manufactured semiconductor device in a wafer state or a package state. Equipment used in the electrical test process of the semiconductor device can include a tester server, a tester, a handler and the like.
The tester tests Direct Current (DC) and Alternate Current (AC) characteristics and a function characteristic of the semiconductor device by using a measurement system controlled by a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The handler refers to an automatic robot equipment for providing an external condition, such as temperature, to electrically test the semiconductor device, for automatically moving the semiconductor device under electrical test, and for sorting the semiconductor device according to the electrical test result. The tester server refers to computer equipment for downloading a test program to a plurality of testers and collecting the test results from each of the testers.
The tester and the handler are very high cost equipment compared to other equipment used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. Accordingly, since efficiency of the electrical test process of the semiconductor device is directly related to the market competitiveness of the device, manufacturers of semiconductor devices are interested in methods for increasing the efficiency of the test.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional test system of the semiconductor device.
Referring to FIG. 1, to perform an electrical test for a semiconductor device using a conventional system, a test program suitable for a Device Under Test (DUT) is downloaded from a tester server 20 to a tester 10. When an electrical test for one semiconductor device is completed, the test result is transmitted to a handler 30. When an electrical test for an entire lot is completed, the electrical test result is again uploaded, this time to the tester server 20.
The tester 10 and the handler 30 are connected with each other using a General Purpose Instruction Bus (GPIB) communication cable for transmitting and receiving communication data for the electrical test of the semiconductor device. The transmitted and received data comprise basic communication data necessary for the electrical test of the semiconductor device. The basic communication data include a test start signal and a test end signal for the DUT, a category bin depending on the test results, an error signal, and the like. In cases where the electrical test is performed in parallel, the basic communication data includes a signal for the number of the DUTs concurrently tested, a mapping signal for the DUT included in a tray, and the like.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an electrical test using the conventional test system of a semiconductor device of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, an operator inputs the number of lots including the target DUT by using a control console of the tester (S10). The tester downloads a test program suitable for the lot number, from the tester server (S20). The operator then sets a handler control condition (for example, a soak time, a retest condition, a test temperature, a category bin site and the like) to the handler connected with the tester (S30).
The soak time, in cases where the semiconductor device is electrically tested at a high temperature or at a low temperature, refers to a wait time of the semiconductor device at a specific high temperature or low temperature for a predetermined time. The setting of the category bin site refers to sorting and storing the semiconductor device after completing the electrical test for the semiconductor device. For example, after the electrical test, the semiconductor device may be sorted as follows: a passed device may be defined as bin1, an Alternate Current (AC) characteristic failed device may be defined as bin2, a function characteristic failed device may be defined as bin3, and a Direct Current (DC) characteristic failed device may be defined as bin4. Then, the handler designates sites at which the bins, bin1 to bin4, are stored. Such designation of each of the storage sites of the bins is called “category bin site setting”.
The retest condition refers to a condition for a retest performed for a poor-characteristic bin as designated by the handler, and the test temperature setting refers to the setting of the high temperature or the low temperature at which the semiconductor device is electrically tested.
In the conventional test system as shown in FIG. 1, the handler 30 does not directly communicate with the tester server 20. Moreoever, the handler 30 is only connected with the tester 10 to transmit and receive basic communication data. Additionally, the handler 30 is not connected in a networking structure. Accordingly, an operator must manually manipulate a variety of control items for the handler. The handler 30 has an independent CPU to control its internal robot unit. While a general tester 10 has a very high utilization of the CPU at a percentage of 90 to 100, the handler 30, although a high-priced equipment, has an apparently low utilization of its internal CPU at a percentage of 70 to 80.
In such an operation environment of the test system, it takes a much longer time for an operator to manually set a handler control condition than for a system to automatically set the handler control condition. Accordingly, in the electrical test process of the semiconductor device requiring manual setting of a handler, efficiency of the electrical test is deteriorated. Further, the handler control condition manipulated by the operator has a high probability of error caused by the operator, thereby decreasing the accuracy of the test process. Additionally, due to a shortage of data collection for problems occurring in the handler, the conventional test system can also have a drawback in that the handler cannot be effectively maintained at an appropriate time.